Special Olympics Ski Racing - Cory's First Time in his new Atomic RT Ti 100 Boots

Well, Whistler-Blackcomb opened a bit earlier than usual and Cory was able to use his new Atomic RT Ti 100 boots for the first time. We tried to meet up with Tom Prozchaka from Gatebusters but unfortunately he couldn't make it.

It was a rather chilly day on Whistler: -16 degrees Celcius (nearly 0 fahrenheit) with a wind. And we quickly found out that while Cory's new boots were still comfortable, they sure were not warm. His feet were frozen within 45 minutes. When he first demo'd them on Mount Hood, that was back in July in record-setting heat, so we had no way of knowing his feet would get that cold.

So into the lodge at the top of Whistler to take them off and warm up his feet. After about 40 minutes, we bought some toe warmers (small packets that heat up when exposed to air, with a sticky side to attach to socks - neat technology actually) and headed out again. He managed about just over an hour this time then we headed in for lunch. Back out again after lunch for an hour or so, and that was about it. There's no night skiing at Whistler-Blackcomb, so at this time of the year, the mountain closes at 3pm.

So, a couple of days later we headed over to a boot fitting store in Vancouver called Snowcovers. There we met Greg - an expert boot fitter - who looked at Cory's feet in his boots and explained that the problem could very well be with his blood circulation. The boots may be comfortable, but they do not fit quite right, and to keep his foot properly in place, the boots have to be tightened so much that the circulation is being reduced.

So he suggested that he work with us to fit Cory's boots properly. Cory spent over an hour with Greg, then we left the boots for him to work on for a few days.

We returned today to pick up the boots. A few adjustments were still required so we were there for about an hour, but Cory has come home with boots that fit much better. It is difficult for Cory to tell us exactly how his boots feel, if there are any pressure points, etc. When asked if his boots hurt or are uncomfortable anywhere, he tends to just say "ummm" and doesn't give a definitive answer. Greg was really good at working with Cory to help him understand his questions in order to get the information he needed. I don't know if Greg has ever worked with autistic people before, but he sure knew how to get the information he needed.

So I really can't tell if Cory can feel the difference. We're going to Gatebusters on Blackcomb on Wednesday, and while it is not supposed to be quite as cold this time, we'll have to wait and see how warm Cory's feet will be.

If they are still cold, we'll have to buy a foot warming system (battery operated pads that fit under the insole, with a battery pack clipped onto the outside of the boot). At least $100, but with the great deal that Cory got on his boots, that's still a good price for a great pair of race boots.

So thanks to Greg at Snowcovers for his patient approach with Cory, we'll hopefully resolve the cold feet issue with these boots.

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